NewApproachesto

PostgraduateSupervisionand
SupervisorDevelopment
DrAnneLee2008
UniversityofSurrey
June2008

a.lee@surrey.ac.uk

Background to this workshop

Supervisorsapproachtosupervisingresearchhasa
profoundinfluenceonhowtheywillsupervise.
Sharedexperience,thereareoftennorightorwrong
answers,buttherearearangeofapproachesfromwhich
wecanchoose.
Discussion,andusingtheSurreyandHarvardresearch
resultswillhelptocreatethatrangeofapproaches.
Approachtosupervisioncanbelinkedtocorebeliefs
aboutwhatresearchis.
Thisisonlythebeginningofadialogue.If,asislikely,at
theendtherearestillunresolvedquestions,wewillbring
themtogetherandfindthebestwayforward.

Some Influences on
Supervision
Disciplinary
pedagogy
Departmental
practices
Conceptual
approachof
supervisor
Codesofpractice
Employers/funders
requirements

Fullorparttime
students?
Experiencedor
inexperiencedstudents?
Internationalorhome
students?
PhD,professionalor
practitionerdoctorate?
Supervisor/co-supervisor

Initial questions
AsaPhDsupervisor:whatarethe
problemsthatyouhavefaced?Dothey
fallintoanycategories?
AsaPhDstudent:whatwerethe
problemsthatyoufaced?Dotheyfallinto
anycategories?

Literaturesearch
Functionalapproach(Wisker2005,EleyandJennings2005
TaylorandBeasley2005)

Qualitiesapproach(Wisker2003a,ZuberSkerrit&Roche2004)
Criticalthinking(Barnett1997,Wisker2005)
Enculturalisation(Leonard2001,Pearson&Brew2002,Lave&
Wenger1991)

Mentoring(Pearson&Kayrooz2004,Brew2001)
Feministapproach(Leonard2001)

Researchquestions
Whatconceptionsofsupervisiondo
supervisorshold?
Isthereanyrelationshipbetweenthe
conceptionsofsupervisionandthejobs
thatPhDgraduatessubsequently
undertake?
Whatarethecommonproblemsfaced?
Whattrainingforsupervisors,ifany,is
undertakenormightbehelpful

Interview questions to supervisors

Whathasbeenyourexperienceofsupervising
PhDstudents?Howmany,howmanydifferent
typesofdoctoralstudents?
Whathaveyourstudentsgoneontodo?
HowwouldyoudefineanexcellentPhDstudent
orthesis?
Whateffectivewaysarethereofworkingwith
yourstudents?Wheredoyoubegin?Wheredo
yougothen?Howoftendoyouseethem?
Whatdoyoudo?Whatdotheydo?
Whatproblemshavearisenandhowhaveyou
copedwiththem?
Howwereyousupervisedwhenyoudidyour
PhD?
Whatdoyouthinkoftheconceptualmodels?

Interview/focus group questions

to students
TellmeaboutyourPhD/research
Whatdoyouwantfromyoursupervisor?
Whatdoyoumostvaluegettingfromyour
supervisor?
Whathashappenedwhenyouhavefelt
mostenergised?
Examplesofproblemsandhowyouhave
coped?

A framework for concepts of research

supervision

Functional

Enculturation Critical
Thinking

Emancipation

Relationship
Development

Supervisors
Activity

Rational
progression
throughtasks

Gatekeeping
Masterto
apprentice

Evaluation
Challenge

Mentoring,
supporting
constructivism

Supervising
by
experience,
developinga
relationship

Supervisors
knowledge &
skills

Directing,
project
management

Diagnosisof
deficiencies,
coaching

Argument,
analysis

Facilitation,
Reflection

Managing
conflict
Emotional
intelligence

Possible
student
reaction

Organised
Obedience

Role
modelling,
Apprenticeship

Constant
inquiry,fight
orflight

Personal
growth,
reframing

Agoodteam
member.
Emotional
intelligence

Functional approach
I have a weekly timetabled formal slot for them
and follow-up if they do not turn up
3 months: literature search
6 months: focus fixed,
12 months transfer report completed
In the 2nd year we see them monthly and they
produce 5000 words before each meeting
Regular pair or small group meetings with
supervisor to present findings

Enculturalisation
I would feel I had failed if they did not stay in the
field
My students all know their academic grandfather
I give my book to all my students
Students need to know what good enough
looks like
You need frequent meetings for international
students
The international student especially can
implement all your corrections and think that is
good enough.
Some cultures expect you to tell them what to do

Critical thinking
I avoid dependency by getting them to think
about some problems and giving them
resources
I want them to stand on their own feet and
challenge the thinking
My tutor was not confrontational, she
encouraged me to be critical of my own ideas
They need to explain to me why, what and how
I ask them to email me a question about their
project every week
I use magic words to help them identify the
thread in their argument eg arguably, conversely,
unanimously, essentially, early on, inevitably etc

Emancipation
Your job as a supervisor is to get them knowing
more than you
I try to get the students to take the initiative
My supervisor encouraged me to read widely,
thinking critically, find examples in newspapers
I try to get them to admit and confront their
problems
You get a lot of satisfaction, you have facilitated
that growth in them

Developing a relationship
Enthuse:You need to fire the imagination, it is
different for different students
Altruism:My supervisor helped me with my
writing but never pressed me to publish.
Encourage:Need to inspire and encourage them
to be brave in what they are thinking
Recogniseachievement:I wanted to call my
supervisor the moment I solved the tough maths
Pastoralsupport:this was as important as
intellectual support to get me through

AdvantagesandDisadvantages
Advantages

Functional

Enculturation

Critical
Thinking

Clarity
Consistency
Progresscan
bemonitored
Recordsare
available

Encourages
standards,
participation,
identity,
community
formation

Rational
Personal
inquiry,fallacy growth,ability
exposed
tocopewith
change

Lifelong
working
partnerships
Enhancedself
esteem

Lowtolerance
ofinternal
difference,
sexist,
ethnicised
regulation
(Cousin&
Deepwell
2005)

Denialof
creativity,can
belittleor
depersonalise
student

Potentialfor
harassment,
abandonment
orrejection

Disadvantages Rigiditywhen
confronted
withthe
creationof
original
knowledge

Emancipation

Toxic
mentoring
(Darling1985)
wheretutor
abusespower

Relationship
Development

Dependenceandindependence
Functional

Enculturation

Critical
Thinking

Emancipation

Relationship
Development

Dependence

Student
needs
explanation
ofstagesto
befollowed
anddirection
through
them

Student
needstobe
shownwhat
todo

Student
learnsthe
questionsto
ask,the
frameworks
toapply

Student
seeks
affirmationof
self-worth

Student
dependson
supervisors
approval

Independence

Studentcan
programme
ownwork,
followown
timetables
competently

Studentcan Studentcan Student

Student
follow
critiqueown autono-mous. demonstrates
disciplines
work
Candecide appropriate
epistemologhowtobe,
reciprocity
ical
wheretogo, andhas
demands
whattodo,
powerto
independen-
wheretofind withdraw
ly
information

Linkstoconceptionsofresearch
(Brew2001,Lee2008)
Functional

Enculturation

Critical
Thinking

Emancipation

DOMINO

TRADING

LAYER

JOURNEY

IN THE
FOREGROUND
IS:

Solving
problemsin
alinear
fashion

Publications,
grants,
social
networks

Datais
linked
together
withhidden
meanings

Personal
existential
issues,linked
tocareer

RESEARCH
IS:

Processof
problematisingor
solving
problems

Amarket
placefor
exchanging
ideas

Discovering Apersonal
hidden
transformative
meanings
journey

Relationship
Development

In small groups
Takeaproblemyoudescribed
earlier,oroneofthecasestudies.
Explorehowthesupervisorcould
reactusingeachapproachto
supervisioninturn
Bepreparedtosharethegroups
findings

Problems that students face the

supervisors view

Dependency
Notadmittingtoproblems
Poorprogress.Notunderstanding
therequiredstandardofworkand
showinginsufficientinitiative
Supervisornotinterestedintopic
Conceptualdifficulties
Differencesbetweensupervisors

Some Problems: the students views

Loneliness
Notenjoyingthetopic
Notknowingwhatisexpected
Practicalissues:money,lifestyle,gettinghold
ofthesupervisor
Ethicalissues:arewebeingused?
Stress(especiallyattransferandviva)
Supervisorbeingtooprescriptivemywayis
theonlyway
Lackofconfidenceismyworkgood
enough?

Observations on training
supervisors
Supervisorshavelearnedmostfromhow
theyweresupervisedthemselves
Understandingarangeofapproachesis
important
Co-supervisioncanbehelpfuliftheroles
areclearlyallocated
Thosewhoneedtrainingcanbethemost
affrontedwhenthesuggestionismade
thattheyneedit

Occupationalinfluences
METHODS OF
SUPERVISION
department norms,
co-supervision,
team supervision,
group supervision

STUDENT
previous experience,
contacts, knowledge
aptitude, skills,
financial aims

SUPERVISORS
CONCEPTIONS
contacts, own PhD
experience

TOPIC
occupational
fertility

UNIVERSITY
PROCEDURES
recruitment,
upgrading,
networking
financial support

References
BarnettR(1997)Higher Education: A Critical Business.Buckingham.SHRE/OU
BrewA(2001)ConceptionsofResearch:aphenomenographicstudy.Studiesin
HigherEducation.TaylorandFrancisOct2001,26(3),271-285,
CryerP(2006)3rdEdTheResearchStudentsGuidetoSuccessMaidenhead.
McGrawHill
DelamontS,AtkinsonP&ParryO(2000)The Doctoral Experience. Success and
Failure in Graduate School.London.FalmerPress
EleyA,JenningsR(2005)Effective Postgraduate Supervision.Maidenhead.OU
PressMcGraw-HillEducation
Lave&WengerE(1991) Situated Learning: legitimate peripheral participation
(Cambridge,CambridgeUniversityPress.
Lee,A.(2007).DevelopingEffectiveSupervisorsConceptsofResearch
Supervision.South African Journal of Higher Education,21(4)
Lee,A(2008)Howaredoctoralstudentssupervised?Conceptsofresearch
supervision.Studies in Higher Education33(4)
LeonardD(2001)A Womans Guide to Doctoral Studies.Buckingham.OUPress
PearsonMandBrewA(2002)Research Training and Supervision Development.
StudiesinHigherEducationVol27No22002
PearsonMandKayroozC.(2004) Enabling Critical Reflection on Research
Supervisory Practice.InternationalJournalforAcademicDevelopment9.(1)pp
99-116Routledge
TaylorSandBeasleyN(2005)A handbook for Doctoral Supervisors.Abingdon.
Routledge
WiskerG(2005)The Good Supervisor.Basingstoke.Macmillan

Some further information

QualityAssuranceAgencywebsiteandcodeofgood
practiceat:
www.qaa.ac.uk
UKGradwebsiteandhandbookat:
www.grad.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Resources/
Supervising_a_Doctorate/p!eXepfkk